WELLAND – While Crown attorney Robin Flumerfelt questioned the relevance of
documents entered as evidence Wednesday against a cop accused of leaking
information to the Hells Angels, defence attorney Ron Brady said they show his
client's interest in investigating the outlaw biker gaxxx.
Brady said the reports dating back to 2001 and early 2002 should have been provided to him long before Monday, as the retrial of Niagara Regional Police Const. Frank Dean Rudge continued in Welland Superior Court.
Despite his criticism that the Crown failed to disclose those documents, Brady opted Wednesday to proceed with the trial when it resumed for the final day of testimony.
Although nine reports were disclosed, Rudge testified that he produced many more reports than that in 2001 and 2002.
Brady also discussed a report produced by Rudge in 2006 about cocaine trafficking in Port Colborne, but Flumerfelt objected saying that report has nothing to do with the Hells Angels.
But when questioned about the nature of the report, Rudge said the report is "absolutely" related to the biker gaxxx.
"It was Hells Angels cocaine they were trafficking, make no mistake about it," he said.
The Crown recalled several additional witnesses, including police officer Mike Tripp, who worked with the biker enforcement unit, who discussed his efforts to find Rudge's reports presented Monday.
Flumerfelt went on to call three police officers who Rudge worked with, questioning them about confidential intelligence reports that Rudge printed. Although Rudge had earlier testified that he intended to share those documents with his fellow officers, none of them recalled Rudge ever showing them those reports.
Fingerprint expert Matthew Lewandowski was also recalled, testifying that fingerprints usually cannot be wiped off paper because sweat can penetrate the porous material. He said amino acids within sweat can be detected by chemicals, revealing fingerprints.
Although Rudge's fingerprints were found on confidential police documents recovered from the Hells Angels, Lewandowski said "it is possible there might have been an attempt to wipe it (the fingerprints) off."
Judge Peter Hambly adjourned the trial Wednesday until further notice, pending the completion of final submissions.
Rudge was acquitted of breach of trust by a public officer charges in 2010, but a second trial was ordered when the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned the decision in December 2011.
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2013/02/20130213-182042.html
Brady said the reports dating back to 2001 and early 2002 should have been provided to him long before Monday, as the retrial of Niagara Regional Police Const. Frank Dean Rudge continued in Welland Superior Court.
Despite his criticism that the Crown failed to disclose those documents, Brady opted Wednesday to proceed with the trial when it resumed for the final day of testimony.
Although nine reports were disclosed, Rudge testified that he produced many more reports than that in 2001 and 2002.
Brady also discussed a report produced by Rudge in 2006 about cocaine trafficking in Port Colborne, but Flumerfelt objected saying that report has nothing to do with the Hells Angels.
But when questioned about the nature of the report, Rudge said the report is "absolutely" related to the biker gaxxx.
"It was Hells Angels cocaine they were trafficking, make no mistake about it," he said.
The Crown recalled several additional witnesses, including police officer Mike Tripp, who worked with the biker enforcement unit, who discussed his efforts to find Rudge's reports presented Monday.
Flumerfelt went on to call three police officers who Rudge worked with, questioning them about confidential intelligence reports that Rudge printed. Although Rudge had earlier testified that he intended to share those documents with his fellow officers, none of them recalled Rudge ever showing them those reports.
Fingerprint expert Matthew Lewandowski was also recalled, testifying that fingerprints usually cannot be wiped off paper because sweat can penetrate the porous material. He said amino acids within sweat can be detected by chemicals, revealing fingerprints.
Although Rudge's fingerprints were found on confidential police documents recovered from the Hells Angels, Lewandowski said "it is possible there might have been an attempt to wipe it (the fingerprints) off."
Judge Peter Hambly adjourned the trial Wednesday until further notice, pending the completion of final submissions.
Rudge was acquitted of breach of trust by a public officer charges in 2010, but a second trial was ordered when the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned the decision in December 2011.
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2013/02/20130213-182042.html
